Novak Djokovic spotted hiking near Adelaide and donates to local community after opening up about vaccination saga
Novak Djokovic – who says he holds no grudges but “can’t forget” the vaccination saga which saw him deported – has been spotted hiking in an Adelaide beauty spot.
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Novak Djokovic has been spotted hiking in one of Adelaide’s many picturesque trails after the tennis star made a substantial donation to a local community.
Posting to Instagram, Djokovic was getting some sunrays while on a hike along a park trail.
Armed with a large stick in hand for support, the athlete appears to be walking in the Adelaide Hills.
Djokovic donated one hundred packs of merchandise to the local Serbian community in Adelaide as a thank you for their support.
President of the Serbian Folkloric Dance Group, Branko Uzelac said the community has “always supported Novak and made him feel welcome”.
“He wanted to thank us for the support we’ve always given him, so he sent the packages,” he said.
Direct from Lacoste in France, the packs included a tshirt, hat and a bag – items Mr Uzelac has seen the “unbelievable” tennis player wear before.
The tennis player sent six boxes of merchandise to the Serbian Orthodox Church, St Sava on Port Rd at Woodville Park.
“We were overwhelmed to be honest and we were not expecting anything, we never expect anything from Novak,” Mr Uzelac said.
“Just him representing us as a nation, as a people, he bring us enough joy.”
Mr Uzelac said the church distributed the packs to all the kids, just in time for Serbian Christmas which falls on January 7.
“The kids loved it, they were all lined up, all behaving to get one of those packages,” he said.
While Djokovic’s plan for the New Year and Serbian Christmas are unclear, Mr Uzelac is hoping the “great man” will have an open training session or visit the church.
“He doesn’t like to make a fanfare of what he’s doing,” Mr Uzelac.
The donation comes after Novak Djokovic said he holds no grudges but “can’t forget” the vaccination saga which saw him deported just days before the start of this year’s Australian Open.
Djokovic landed in SA on Tuesday ahead of the Adelaide International which kicks off on January 1, before he makes his way to Melbourne to compete in the 2023 Open tournament.
Less than 12 months ago, the former World No. 1 and nine-time Australian Open champion was booted from the country on the eve of Melbourne Park event after a high-stakes legal battle over his visa status.
Djokovic said the events of almost 12 months ago were “disappointing” but Australia still has a special place in his heart.
“Obviously what happened 12 months ago was hard for me, my family, team, everybody close to me,” he said.
“You can’t forget those events you know. It’s one of those things that sticks with you and stays with you for the rest of your life.
“(It’s something) I’ve never experienced before and hopefully never again.
“But it is (was) a valuable life experience for me, and something that will stay there but I have to move on.”
This year’s Australian Open was overshadowed when Djokovic, 35, was sensationally sent home after the Federal Court upheld a decision to cancel his visa on “health and good order grounds” because his presence in Australia could stoke anti-vaccine sentiment and thereby undermine the nation’s Covid-19 response.
The tennis superstar had his three-year visa ban overturned in November, allowing him to compete at the Adelaide International next week, and the Open in Melbourne.
The decision to revoke the ban will enable Djokovic to play in his first grand slam since Wimbledon and vie for his record 10th title at Melbourne Park.
His upcoming performance in the Adelaide International will be his first appearance at the tournament which started in 2020.
He said a potential match-up against hometown hero Thanasi Kokkinakis would be “fun”. Kokkinakis is one of several big names playing in Adelaide, including dual Olympic Gold medallist Andy Murray, young Italian star Jannik Sinner and this year’s Australian Open runner-up Danil Medvedev.
“Thanasi Kokkinakis who is the title defender … I mean, that could be fun actually, playing Thanasi in front of his home fans,” he said.
“Some of the best players in the world are playing here, both men and women’s side.
“The list of the players in this field is super strong … you have Medvedev, Felix, Rublev, you have really top guys.”
The Adelaide International will serve as a warm-up for Djokovic who will then go on to compete at the Australian Open starting on January 16.
“I know what my focus is … my focus is to use every single day here to be well prepared to carry on preparation, my off-season preparation program that I’ve been doing now for several weeks,” he said.
“It (Australia) is a country where I’ve had tremendous success in my career, particularly in Melbourne, my far more successful grand slam … I’ve won it nine times.”
“At this stage of my career, with all the achievements, every big tournament win is another possibility to make more history.
“It’s a big challenge but it’s a huge motivation so I don’t lack inspiration or motivation to play my best.”
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